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The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for inhibiting the theft of small and portable devices that have a relatively high economic value, specifically portable electronic devices having a rigid wall.
Computers and electronic devices have evolved rather rapidly from large, expensive machines usable only by a few, to relatively small, portable devices which are usable by many. In particular, the development of desk top computers with significant processing power has made computers available to the general population. It is now common for students of all ages to have their own computer, and desk top computers are in wide spread use as word processors and work stations in almost all forms of business. Desk top computers are relatively small and easily transportable, and an undesirable side effect of their proliferation is the fact that the theft of such computers is a significant problem. A variety of devices have been developed to inhibit the theft of desk top computers and similar equipment. Since desk top computer systems involve several components, typically including the computer itself, a separate monitor, keyboard and often a printer, such security systems often employ a cable which attaches each of the components to each other and to a relatively immovable object such as a desk. The principal difficulty in such systems is providing an effective and convenient method for attaching the cable itself to the equipment. Kensington Microware Limited, assignee of this application, provided a security system which is especially designed for use with particular Apple computers. Certain Apple computer components have slots and internal brackets designed to capture a specially designed tab inserted through the slot so that the tab is not removable. While this system was effective for particular types of Apple computers, it did not work for those Apple computer components and other computer brands which did not have the special designed slots and brackets.
It is undesirable to require a computer to have specially designed slots with internal capture brackets because the brackets occupy a significant amount of space in an item of equipment which is intended to be as space efficient as possible. Different items of Apple equipment required different sized slots, meaning that the security mechanism must provide a variety of different sized tabs. The tabs, once inserted, could not be removed without damage to the equipment, meaning that the security system could not be moved from one computer to the other. Even Apple computers with specially designed slots are typically used with peripheral equipment which does not have the slots, and, the Kensington system provided screws requiring a special screwdriver which replaced the screws used to attach the existing communication cables, securing the peripheral equipment to the base computer by preventing unauthorized removal of the communication cables. This last aspect of the system had a drawback in that the peripheral equipment could not be removed from the base computer without the special screwdriver, which could be lost or misplaced.
Other vendors provided security systems which were not required to interface directly with special slots and capture mechanisms as provided in certain Apple computers. For example, Secure-It, Inc., under the trademark xe2x80x9cK{haeck over (A)}BLITxe2x80x9d, provided a variety of brackets attached to the computer component using existing mounting screws, i.e., screws which are already used to secure items of equipment within the cabinet. Typically, the bracket is apertured so that passage of the cable through the aperture prevented access to the mounting screw and thus prevented removal of the bracket from the equipment. A deficiency of this type of system is that it required the removal of the existing mounting screw, which may cause some damage to the internal components of the computer. Suitable existing screws are not always available on certain peripherals for convenient attachment of the fastener. For this latter reason, K{haeck over (A)}BLIT also provided glue-on disks which, unfortunately, are permanently secured to the equipment.
The theft of small but expensive equipment such as desk top computers continues to be a growing problem. Prexisting devices were simply too inefficient or ineffective, or their application was too limited. As a result, the use of such security systems is rare, computer equipment is typically left unprotected, and it is all too often stolen. Advancements in the state of the art of electronic devices have led to smaller yet more powerful devices. For example, computers have evolved from very large machines to relatively small, portable, or even hand-held machines. The use of many different types of so-called xe2x80x9clap-topxe2x80x9d computers and the smaller hand-held xe2x80x9cpersonal digital assistantsxe2x80x9d (PDAs) has proliferated within personal, educational and business environments. However, an undesirable side effect of ever-shrinking electronic devices is the easy access and asportation by others, especially thieves or others desiring unauthorized use of the electronic device. One problem is that no viable physical security device exists for some modem portable electronic devices. Compounding the problem is that some portable electronic devices are neither designed for attaching an object to it such as a security device for locking to another article, nor provided with a dedicated security slot, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,685, assigned to ACCO Brands, and the assignee of the present invention.
While the inventions of the incorporated patents describe many effective solutions to computer physical security that are useful in particular applications, there are some applications and situations in which other solutions may be useful.
The present invention provides security locks for portable electronic devices and other portable devices that have a relatively high economic value. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a locking system for engaging a security slot of about 3 mm by 7 mm includes a first housing telescopically coupled to a second housing and moveable from a first position to a second position. The housings include apertures that align when in the second position. A slot engaging member is coupled to the second housing, and is sized to enter into the security slot. The slot engaging member includes a locking arm coupled to the first housing that retracts when the first housing is in the first position and the locking arm extends when the first housing is in the second position. An object extends through the aligned apertures to retain the first housing in the second position.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, An interface element for a security slot having dimensions of about 3 mm by 7 mm includes a housing, a slot-engaging member coupled to the housing and sized to fit within the security slot, and a locking arm, moveably coupled to the slot-engaging member. The locking member defines, in relation to the security slot and the slot-engaging member, a locked configuration when the locking arm is misaligned with the security slot, and an unlocked configuration when the locking arm is aligned with the security slot.
In accordance with a further embodiment, an interface element for a security slot having dimensions of about 3 mm by 7 mm includes a plate, a slot engagement member, coupled to said plate, sized to enter into the security slot, a ring, coupled to the slot engagement member and sized to enter into the security slot, and a ring adjustment system for configuring the ring to be unremovable from within the security slot.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, an interface element for a security slot having dimensions of about 3 mm by 7 mm includes a plate, and a slot engagement member threadably coupled to the plate. The slot engagement member includes a locking member sized to enter into the security slot and to be misalignable with the security slot. The slot engagement member has a distance between the plate and the locking member that is adjustable such that the plate may be contacted with a wall defining the security slot and tightened when the locking member is misaligned with the security to retain the plate next to the wall.
The preferred exemplary embodiments of this invention will now be discussed in detail. These embodiments depict the novel and nonobvious locking apparatuses of this invention shown in the accompanying drawings, which are included for illustrative purposes only, with like numerals indicating like elements.